Description
Salmon á la Nage is a delicate and flavorful French dish featuring salmon poached gently in a fragrant broth made with rosé wine, fish fumet, aromatic herbs, and spices. This cooking method ensures tender, moist salmon complemented by mussels, asparagus, and a light, aromatic nage sauce, perfect for an elegant dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 pieces of salmon (150 g each)
- 6 small mussels
- 1 stem of asparagus, diced
Broth Ingredients
- 1 cup dry rosé wine
- 1 cup fish fumet
- 2 shallots, halved
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1/2 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 3-4 star anise
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 tablespoon diced parsley and/or dill stems (reserve leaves for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare Salmon: Remove the salmon fillets from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to allow them to come to room temperature, ensuring even cooking.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a pan, add olive oil or butter and gently fry the garlic, shallots, celery, carrots, and diced parsley or dill stems over medium heat for a few minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Build the Broth: Add vinegar and rosé wine to the pan and stir for 20 seconds to deglaze. Then add fish fumet, lemon slices, star anise, juniper berries, black peppercorns, and bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
- Reduce Heat: Lower the heat to very low, maintaining the liquid just below a simmer (around 180ºF / 82ºC) to avoid overcooking the salmon.
- Poach Salmon: Gently slide the salmon fillets into the broth using a fish spatula or your hands. Cook gently at this temperature for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on fillet thickness, ensuring the liquid remains just below a simmer with gentle bubbles.
- Baste and Add Vegetables: Occasionally spoon broth over any exposed parts of salmon to keep it moist. After 5 minutes, add diced asparagus and mussels to the broth and continue poaching for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until mussels open and asparagus is tender.
- Serve: Carefully remove the salmon, mussels, and asparagus with a fish spatula into a serving bowl. Ladle the hot broth generously over the fish. Garnish with reserved parsley and dill leaves. Serve immediately warm.
Notes
- Use fresh salmon fillets with skin on for best flavor and presentation.
- Ensure the broth remains just below a simmer to keep the salmon tender and avoid toughening the fish.
- If mussels do not open after cooking, discard them to ensure safety.
- Substitute dry white wine if rosé is unavailable, though rosé adds a unique flavor.
- Save leftover broth to use as a flavorful base for seafood soups or risottos.
- Use a cooking thermometer to maintain the correct temperature if available, aiming for just below 180ºF (82ºC).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fillet with broth and vegetables
- Calories: 270 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
